An Overview of Path Queries on Graphs

Wentao Li, Dong Wen, Lu Qin, Ying Zhang

Abstract: Graphs are powerful tools for modeling entities and their relationships. Among the fundamental operations on graphs, path queries play a vital role in identifying paths between pairs of vertices. These queries underpin a broad range of applications by enabling efficient navigation and insightful analysis of graph-structured data. Path queries can be categorized based on the types of paths they return, with each category addressing specific application needs. In this tutorial, we focus on four major categories of path queries: plain shortest path queries, constrained shortest path queries, shortest path summary queries, and non-shortest path queries. We begin by introducing the basic concepts and practical applications of path queries. We then provide an in-depth exploration of the four categories listed above. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of the future research directions in this area.

External IDs:dblp:conf/icde/LiWQZ25